Reweaving device



July 11, 1961 Filed Oct. 29, 1957 E. V. HUGHES REWEAVING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EARL INVENTOR.

V. HUGHES oil w ATTORNEY July 11, 1961 v, U E 2,991,809

REWEAVING DEVICE Filed Oct. 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EARL V. HUGHES ATTORNEY such as fine silks.

United States Patent REWEAV'ING DEVICE Earl V. Hughes, 1478 (rear) Michigan Ave, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Jerome 11. Cox, as trustee Filed Oct. 29, 1957, Ser. No. 693,083 Claims. (Cl. 139-1) The invention disclosed herein and illustrated in the appended drawings relates generally to reweaving devices and particularly to needles for use in repairing damaged and worn fabrics by reweaving replacement threads or patches of replacement material into a Worn or damaged fabric in such a manner than the repaired fabric is restored to conditions of strength and appearance substantially the same as that of the original fabric.

Such reweaving is accomplished by drawing a replacementthread or yarn through the end portions of damaged threads in the fabric and over and under transverse threads of the fabric in such a manner that the replacement thread, anchored at its opposite ends within opposite ends of a damaged thread, is positioned intermediate adjacent threads of the damaged fabric which lie parallel with the replacement thread and over and under successive transverse threads of the fabric in substantially the same manner as the original weave pattern of the fabric.

One type of needle presently employed to accomplish such reweaving is the well known latch-type needle. A structural element of the latch type needle which is essential to its use for reweaving purposes is a latching bar which is pivotally secured to the needle so as not to oppose longitudinal movement of the needle in either direction through a fabric and to cooperate with a backwardly directed barbed hook formed on the needle to provide an eye for retaining the replacement thread when the needle is withdrawn from the fabric. The latching bar together with a suitable mechanical pivot which must be provided in such a needle combine to form a relatively bulky tool having a minimum cross-sectional area which is so great as to render the latch type needle likely to damage the relatively fine threads of light weight closely woven fabrics Therefore, the latch type needle is not a practical tool for use in the reweaving of closely woven fabrics or fabrics woven from relatively fine threads.

Objects One of the objects of my invention is to provide a needle suitable for reweaving closely woven fabrics without damage to the fabric.

.Another object of my invention is to provide a needle suitable for reweaving fabrics composed of relatively fine threads.

A further object of my invention is to provide in a reweaving needle a closed threadable eye in combination with means for threading such eye.

Further objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the subjoined specification and claims when considered in connection with the attached drawings.

a Drawings In the drawings which disclose various embodiments of my invention:

FIG. 1 is a' view in side elevation showing a preferred embodiment of the needle of my invention having a unitary structure.

* FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the needle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a viewi'n' elevation looking toward the forward end of the needle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 1 showing a portion of the needle on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the enlarged needle portion of FIG. 4; and

Patented J uly 1 1 I 1 FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing an alternative embodiment of my invention having a composite structure. 7 Description Briefly stated, my invention comprises a reweaving needle which consists of two arms, one of which is pro. vided with a terminal point anda threadable eye. The other arm is provided with a hook which at times is passed through the eye of the opposite arm for securing a 'replacement thread and drawing it through the eye. Both arms are resiliently interconnected adjacent one of their ends. J

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of my invention it will be seen that I have shown in FIG. 1 a reweaving tool comprising a needle having a needle arm 10 and a hook arm 20 interconnected at their inner ends by portion 11, formed of suitable resilient material. Portion 11 is formed with the configuration shown in FIG. 1 when the reweaving needle is in an unstressed condition. Slight manual pressures exerted simultaneously'on the outer surfaces of arms 10 and 20 serve to deflect arm 20, against the spring resistance of portion 11, to the position of arm 20 which is shown in' broken lines in FIG. 1.

Needle arm 10 is formed with a handle portion 12 which is integral at its rearward end with resilient portion 11 and which terminates at its forward end in face 13. Needle portion 14 is preferably formed integrally with handle 12 and projects forwardly from face 13 in axial alignment with handle 12.

Needle portion 14 is formed with the general configuration of the enlarged view of FIG. 4 with a terminal point 15 located at its forwardend, with an enlarged guide portion16 adjacent point 15, and with an eye 18 which is located intermediate face 13 and point 15 and which extends through needle portion 14.

Groove 19 (FIG. 4) is formed on the lower side of needle portion I14 adjacent point 15 and extends longitudinally of portion 14. Needle portion 14 may have any practical maximum diameter but is preferably formed with a relatively small maximum diameter if it is to function effectively in fabrics which are closely woven from relatively fine threads, such as for instance fine silk materials.

Hook arm 20 is formed with the general configuration shown in FIG. 1 and is provided with handle portion 22, prong 24, and hook 25. Handle portion 22 is formed integral at its rearward end with resilient portion 11 and terminates at-its forward end in face 23. Prong 24 is integral with handle portion 22 and projects forwardly from face 23 in axial alignment with handle portion 22 Hook 25 is preferably formed integrally with prong 24, i

has a maximum cross section smaller than that of eye 18 of needle portion 14, and is disposed substantially per:- pendicular to prong 24 and in such arcuate alignment with the open eye 18 of needle portion 14 that hook 25 passes through eye 18 when opposite arms 10 and 20. are urged by manual pressure to the compressed position shown in broken lines in FIG. 1.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in FIG. 1, I provide prong guide 30 for retaining prong 24 within a plane of needle 14, during the movement of arm' 20 between its extended and compressed positions, so as to insure that hook 25 is in register with eye 18 when the hook is brought into position for entering the eye. 'Prong guide 30 is formed, with the configuration shown in FIG. 3, from any suitable material, and

is preferably secured by suitable means to face 13- of- If desired, prong guide 30 may be formed integrally with needle arm 12.

When performing a reweaving operation with the needle of my invention, the pattern of the weave of a damaged fabric is first determined and a sufiicient number of warp and weft threads suitab'le'for replacement purposes are removed from an inconspicuous portion of the fabric in the manner well known in the art. The damaged portion of the fabric which is to berewoven is then positioned, with the normally concealed or wrong side uppermost, on a suitable working surface. The replacement warp and weft threads are then positioned on the upper surface of the fabric in parallel alignment with matching threads of the fabric and with one of their ends adjacent that portion of the fabric which is to be repaired.

With my reweaving needle in the extended position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, needle portion 14 is inserted into the uppermost side of the fabric and is passed through a broken or worn thread lying parallel to the needle (which'may be a warp thread) at a point adjacent the broken or worn portion of the thread.

Guide groove 19 serves to guide portion 14 along a parallel thread and into proper position for piercing the parallel worn or broken thread. Needle portion 14 is then passed across the damaged area of the fabric, and is alternately passed over and under adjacent transverse threads, such as the weft threads, as necessary to reestablish the original pattern of the damaged fabric.

Enlarged guide portion 16 serves to urge apart adjacent transverse threads and to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of needle portion 14 from a position intermediate adjacent transverse threads. Guide portion -16 also provides a rounded, light reflecting surface for indicating to a user of the tool the position of the terminal end of needle portion 14 within the weave of the fabric. After the damaged portion of the fabric has been traversed'by needle portion 14 in the manner just described, point and eye 18 of needle portion 14 are passed through a sound portion of a matching end of damaged warp thread and eye 18 is then positioned superadjacent a replacement warp thread which matches the damaged warp thread. Opposite arms 10 and 20 of my reweaving needle are then manually urged together against the spring resistance of portion 11. When arms 10 and 20 are urged together, the lower end of hook is passed through eye 18 and under the replacement warp thread located beneath eye 18. When the manual pressure upon arms 10 and 20 is relieved, the replacement warp thread is carried upwardly through eye 18 by hook 25 thus drawing the replacement thread upwardly through eye 18 and threading needle portion 14.

After needle portion 14 is threaded as just described it is withdrawn from the fabric, drawing with it through the fabric the replacement thread with which it has been threaded. When eye 18 is withdrawn from the fabric the end of the replacement thread is removed from the eye. An example of the manner in which the needle may be used is shown in US. patent to Hieber et al., No. 2,343,183, issued February 29, 1944, FIGURES 2 and 11 of which show a reweaving needle inserted through a damaged thread and engaging a repair thread to be drawn into the fabric.

The operation just described is repeated until each broken or worn warp and weft thread is repaired by reweaving suitable replacement threads into the fabric and securing them to oppositely disposed sound portions of theoriginal threads ofthe fabric.

In an alternative embodiment of my invention shown in FIG. 6 needle arm 110 and hook arm 120 are formed separately from suitable resilient material and are secured in fixed mutual engagement adjacent their rearmost ends by suitable means such as for instance, by rivets 1 21 and 122. Arms 110 and 120 are so formed as to be mutually divergent when they are in the unstressed condition and have the general configuration :shown in the drawings. Needle portion 114 is formed separately from needle arm and 'is secured within a suitable blind bore 117 of arm 110 by means of suitable set screws with eye 118 in arcuate alignment with hook 125. Similarly, prong 124 is formed separately from arm 120 and is secured by means of suitable set screws 128 within bore 127 of hook arm 120. Hook is formed of relatively fine wire and is secured by suitable means, such as for instance, soldering, welding or brazing, to prong 124 which is formed of relatively heavier gauge material. The embodiment of FIG. 6 is operated in substantially the same manner previously described with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 1 and is used for reweaving worn or damaged fabric in themanner described.

If'desired, handles 110 and 120 may each be composed of a plurality of separate segments (not shown) and adjustably interconnected by well known screw and slot means appropriate for rendering both handle portions 110 and 120 adjustable in length and thereby providing means for regulating the length of the are through which needle 125 travels during the operation of my device.

It is to be understood that the above described embodi ments of my invention are for the purposes of illustration only and various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A reweaving tool comprising a needle formed with a point, a threadable eye adjacent to saidpoint, and a hook resiliently secured tosaid needle and reciprocably passable through said eye.

'2. A reweaving needle consisting of two arms, oneof the arms being provided with a point and an eye formed adjacent to said point and the other arm being provided with a hook which at times passes through the .eye, the two arms being integrally and resiliently connected at the ends thereof opposite to said point and to said hook to allow the hook to pass through the eye of the needle.

3. A needle for reweaving a replacement thread into a damaged fabric comprising a pair of arms resiliently interconnected adjacent their inner ends; a needle secured to the outer end of one of said arms, projecting in longitudinal alignment therewith, and terminating at its outer end in a point, said needle being provided with a threadable eye adjacent to said point and axially aligned along an are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the other of said pair of arms; an enlarged portion formed on said needle adjacent to said point; a prong secured in longitudinal alignment with the second said arm and projecting from the outer end thereof; and means secured to said prong for threading said replacement thread through said eye. l 4. A tool for weaving a replacement thread into a damaged fabric comprising a needle formed with a ter minal point at its forward end, an enlarged portion adjacentsaid point, a threadable eye formed adjacent to said point and positioned intermediate the opposite ends of said needle, and a handle portion having an enlarged crosssection adjacent the opposite end of said needle, formed integrally with the needle and extending rearwardly therefrom; a hook armresiliently and integrally connected to said handle portion at the rearward ends thereof and projeeting angularly forward thereform; a hook, secured to said hook arm, arranged substantially perpendicular thereto at its forward end, and passable through said eye when said arm is urged toward said handle portion; and means for guiding said hook in cooperating alignment with said eye.

5. A tool for weaving a replacement thread into a damaged fabric comprising a needle arm formed with a terminal point at its forward end, an enlarged portion adjacent said point and a threadable eye adjacent said enlarged portion; and a hook arm, resiliently and integrally secured at its rearwardend to the rearward end of said needle arm and projecting angularly forward therefrom, said hook arm being formed with a depending hook pas- 5 6 sable through said eye when said hook arm is urged to- 2,343,183 Hieber et a1. Feb. 29, 1944' Ward said needle arm; and means for guiding said hook 2,523,932 Abbott Sept. 26, 1950 into cooperative alignment with said eye. 2,747,778 Balzer May 29, 1956 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 2807397 Fugelseth Sept 1957 UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 2,226,449 Stephens Dec. 24, 1940 505,010 Great Britain May 1, 1939 i i f 

